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As we have done each of the previous three seasons, we cap our 2024 awards with the 615 Preps Iron Brigade team.
This group of 11 players is a selection of some of the area’s most talented players who play both offense and defense. Ironman football, while now only confined to the high school game and seemingly in less usage with each passing year, still embodies the spirit of the prep ranks when the best players didn’t leave the field.
The 11 players selected this season proved to be invaluable to their teams – nine of the 11 players were on teams that reached at least the second round of their respective classes’ playoff brackets, though that wasn’t necessarily a requirement for selection. And five of them competed on BlueCross Bowl championship weekend.
After pouring through stats, coach nominations, and our observations, we landed on the 11 players below, with several more being highly considered for inclusion as well. Of the 11, at least four must play a lineman spot on either side of the ball. This makes our Iron Brigade team one of, if not the most exclusive teams to be named for a postseason award in our 91-team coverage area.
This year’s awards are presented by Legacy at Carbon.
The stats listed were provided by teams.
Here are the 11 players, in alphabetical order, making up the fourth-annual Iron Brigade team in the 615 Preps coverage area:
Gabe Borders, RB/DB, Sr., Macon County
Borders makes the team for the second time in three years after helping lead the Tigers to their first-ever state championship. He finished with 1,889 yards of total offense in 2024 (1,584 rushing and 256 receiving), rushing for 23 touchdowns, hauling in five touchdown passes and throwing two more. Defensively, he had 49 tackles (31 solo), two fumble recoveries and two interceptions and he also returned a punt for a touchdown.
Zach Borders, RB/DB, Sr., Macon County
Zach finally got to play a full season for the Tigers after injuries hampered the previous two years. He complimented his twin brother perfectly, rushing for 1,917 yards and 22 touchdowns while also catching two touchdown passes. He finished with 42 tackles (28 solo) on defense with 12 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
KJ Chatman, RB/DB, Sr., Springfield
Chatman made the most of his offensive opportunities in 2024, rushing for 595 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively, he was all around the ball, finishing with 100 tackles and two sacks, five forced fumbles and one recovery in helping lead the Yellow Jackets to the Class 5A semifinals.
Amari Cotton, QB/DB, Sr., Jo Byrns
It’s rare to have a player on this team from a non-playoff program, but Cotton’s impact for the Red Devils was significant enough to warrant selection. He ran for 1,500 yards, passed for 503 yards, and had 141 receiving yards, accounting for 29 total touchdowns. On defense, he made 60 tackles with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. To top it off, he returned two kickoffs for scores.
Bobby Cripps, OL/DL, Jr., Gordonsville
A staple of the Tigers’ lines, Cripps helped lead the way for the Tigers to rush for nearly 2,500 yards and pass for 1,133 yards this season. He racked up 98 tackles (70 solo) with six tackles for a loss and a forced fumble in 2024.
Dylan Davenport, OL/DL, Sr., Friendship Christian
Davenport’s selection marks the third consecutive season a Commander lineman has been named to the Iron Brigade team. He helped his teammates rush for 2,247 yards and throw for 760 more on offense. On defense, he had 63 tackles (60 solo) with 17 tackles for a loss and four sacks.
Nathan Fleming, OL/DL, Jr., BGA
Fleming becomes BGA’s second-ever selection to the team and its first lineman to be named. One of the anchors of a line that helped lead the Wildcats to a runner-up finish in Division II-Class AA, BGA racked up more than 5,800 yards of total offense in 2024 (3,527 passing, 2,327 rushing). Fleming finished with 50 tackles (32 solo), 17 tackles for a loss and 13 sacks on defense.
Hunter Gray, OL/LB, Sr., Westmoreland
Gray anchored both sides for one of Westmoreland’s best teams in recent memory, one that piled up more than 3,000 yards of total offense in winning 10 games and reaching the Class 2A quarterfinals. Gray finished with 88 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks for the Eagles in 2024.
Dason Springer, WR/DB, Sr., White House Heritage
Springer provided quite the lift for the Patriots in 2024, with 976 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and 137 tackles (51 solo) on defense. He also had four tackles for a loss, two sacks, and six interceptions with two of those going for touchdowns. He added two punt returns for scores as well.
Craig Tutt, RB/DB, Jr., Oakland
Tutt made the most of his 2024 campaign, becoming a Mr. Football finalist in his junior season. He rushed for 1,250 yards and 18 touchdowns, adding 398 receiving yards and three more scores through the air. On defense, Tutt had 64 total tackles (35 solo), three tackles for a loss, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception, and he also returned a kickoff for a score.
William Wiebush, QB/DB, Sr., Page
Wiebush split time at quarterback for the Patriots this season, but he was a stalwart in the Page secondary on a defense that held all but one team under 10 points in 2024. Wiebush had 495 passing yards and four touchdowns, and also ran for 386 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense. He finished with 60 tackles on defense, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and a fumble recovery.
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